8/17/09

Gender and Date of Birth Now Required Information for domestic flights

Washington, DC, August 17, 2009-The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rolled out a new phase of their Secure Flight program over the weekend. Passengers will now be required to provide their birth date and gender when they book an airline ticket as part of a move to help distinguish passengers from those on the government's "watch list" (often called the "no-fly" list).

NCTE has issued a new FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about the Secure Flight program and its impact on transgender people. The resource includes information about how to navigate the new process, particularly if you have identification that does not match your gender presentation. NCTE firmly supports the right of transgender people to maintain our privacy and to travel freely.

NCTE has been engaged in ongoing work with TSA and administration officials about the Secure Flight program. There appears to be no chance of having the requirement of listing gender lifted; however, we will continue to work on how the policy is implemented in order to minimize the negative impacts. We are also monitoring the impact on transgender travelers. If you encounter difficulties when you travel, please contact us as 202-903-0112 and let us know. We may be able to provide you with assistance and the information can also help us as we work with TSA to help prevent future problems.

You can read more information in the New York Times about the Secure Flight Program.

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About NCTE The National Center for Transgender Equality is a national social justice organization devoted to ending discrimination and violence against transgender people through education and advocacy on national issues of importance to transgender people. By empowering transgender people and our allies to educate and influence policymakers and others, NCTE facilitates a strong and clear voice for transgender equality in our nation's capital and around the country. The National Center for Transgender Equality is a 501(c)3 organization.http://www.nctequality.org/

* The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (4.7 million members), whose weeklong meeting in Minneapolis begins today will vote on whether non-celibate gay people can be ordained as Lutheran clergy, and on a statement saying same-gendered relationships have a place in the church.

* In July, the United Methodist News Service announced that the United Methodist Church (11 million members, 8 million of whom are Americans) is on track, based on early voting results, to reject an amendment that would let any professed Christian become a church member. Conservative opponents viewed the proposed change as implicit acceptance of homosexuality.

* Last month, the Episcopal Church USA (2.1 million members) rescinded a moratorium on electing gay bishops, a moratorium imposed under Anglican pressure three years after Robinson's election. It also said clergy can bless same-sex unions.

* In June, the Presbyterian Church USA (2.3 million members) announced the rejection of an amendment that would have let non-celibate gay people become clergy.

.John 6:58The bread that comes down from heaven isn't like what your ancestors ate. They died, but whoever eats this bread will live forever.John 6:57-59 (in Context) John 6 (Whole Chapter)

On July 17, Dwight R. DeLee was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of 22-year-old Lateisha Green in Syracuse, New York. Tomorrow, DeLee will be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison for his role in the killing. TLDEF staff members are currently en route to Syracuse. We'll once again be blogging and posting Twitter and Facebook updates about developments on the ground at the sentencing.

The image you see in this message is from Essence magazine's recent coverage of Lateisha's story. When we first began working with Lateisha's family after her death last year, they asked us to help ensure that her death would not be in vain, and that people would learn something from their tragic loss. We're very proud - and Lateisha's family is very proud - that Essence has chosen to feature Lateisha's story. Essence occupies a special place in the hearts of millions of Black women. Since it was launched in 1970, Essence has become a cultural institution in the African-American community. By speaking out about Lateisha's story, Lateisha's family is connecting with audiences that might otherwise never have heard about her life or death as a transgender woman. From the Associated Press to the Los Angeles Times, and now to Essence, Lateisha's story is touching the hearts and minds of millions of people who probably knew very little about the continuing violence that affects the daily lives of transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We're grateful to Lateisha's family for speaking out, and we're grateful to our friends at GLAAD, whose expertise helped to keep this story alive for millions of people.

If you're not familiar with Lateisha's story, you can learn about it by reading the following articles and blog postings on our web site. They're chock full of information, photos and videos, and we think they're well worth your time:

Show Your SupportPlease continue to send personal notes of encouragement to Lateisha’s family during this difficult time. You can email correspondence by clicking here. We can't guarantee the family will be able to reply to your emails, but we know that they'll read them and that they appreciate everyone's support. Please write!

As a final note, thank you for your support of the work we've been doing on this case. Your notes of encouragement motivate us to pursue our work for equal rights. We always welcome your input, and encourage you to continue to contact us. Thank you.

Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.

"BAGHDAD (AP) -- Militiamen are torturing and killing gay Iraqi men with impunity in a systematic campaign that has spread from Baghdad to several other cities, a prominent human rights group said in a report."

"Murders are committed with impunity, admonitory in intent, with corpses dumped in garbage or hung as warnings on the street," the 67-page report said.

"Reliable numbers weren't available, Human Rights Watch said, blaming a combination of the failure of authorities to investigate such crimes and the stigma preventing families from reporting the deaths. But it cited a well-informed U.N. official as saying in April that the death toll was probably "in the hundreds."